Counties stop weighing
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• Two county councils are to cease check weighing trucks, even though they fear it. could lead to anarchy on their roads.
Kent and Oxfordshire county councils say they can no longer afford to fund the checks, following the Government's cuts in local authority budgets (CM 2-8 Feb). And they warn that other councils will also be forced to stop trading standards checks for overloaded trucks.
Kent CC says it is "sorely disappointed" that it has to stop the checks this April in a move designed to save £80,000 a year. It acknowledges that its decision could lead to more over
loaded trucks on the road although the Vehicle Inspect. orate and the police can continue check weighings, Making the cuts in Kent is particularly significant because it is one of the busiest areas for truck traffic in the UK, with several ports and three major motorways. During 1993/1994 Kent trading standards officers found more than 30% (484) of the 1,540 UK-registered trucks they checked were overweight.
Oxfordshire County Council suspended check weighings in December and on Monday (27 February) it voted to pull out of weighings permanently.